Effect of meditation and prenatal education on fear and confidence in vaginal delivery
Jun Zhu, Meiyun Zhou, Taotao Wang, Xiao-Yan Ma, Dandan Yong
Frontiers in Public Health December 10, 2025 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1712740 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Retrospective cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 212 |
| Population | Women undergoing vaginal delivery at a single tertiary hospital |
| Interventions | Meditation relaxation techniques multimedia health education |
| Duration | February 2021 to February 2024 |
| Measures | W-DEQ, CBSEI, S-AI, SDS, EPDS, GCQ, LAS |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Education |
| Key findings | Adding meditation, relaxation techniques, and multimedia prenatal health education to standard prenatal care was associated with lower fear of childbirth and anxiety at 36 weeks, higher childbirth confidence, higher postpartum GCQ and LAS scores, and lower EPDS depression scores, while labor duration and adverse reactions did not differ significantly between groups. |
Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the synergistic effect of meditation and relaxation techniques combined with prenatal multimedia health education on reducing fear of childbirth, enhancing childbirth confidence, and improving postpartum outcomes in women undergoing vaginal delivery.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary hospital from February 2021 and February 2024. A total of 212 women who underwent vaginal delivery were included, with 102 in the treatment group receiving meditation, relaxation techniques, and multimedia health education alongside standard prenatal care, and 110 in the control group receiving only standard prenatal care. Clinical data collected included fear of childbirth scores (W-DEQ), confidence scores (CBSEI), anxiety levels (S-AI), depression scores (SDS, EPDS), and labor duration. Statistical analyses compared these measures between groups at different stages of pregnancy and postpartum.
Results: Labor duration did not significantly differ between groups (p > 0.05). At 36 weeks of pregnancy, the treatment group had significantly lower W-DEQ scores (48.85 ± 6.22 vs. 59.35 ± 6.47; p < 0.001) and S-AI scores (51.64 ± 1.08 vs. 58.63 ± 1.04; p < 0.001), and higher CBSEI scores (7.88 ± 1.41 vs. 5.17 ± 1.62; p < 0.001). Postpartum, the treatment group showed higher GCQ (92.77 ± 1.65 vs. 86.53 ± 1.27; p < 0.001) and LAS scores (175.61 ± 16.53 vs. 117.34 ± 13.24; p < 0.001), along with lower EPDS scores (4.08 ± 1.22 vs. 5.26 ± 1.54; p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in adverse reactions between groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Integrating meditation, relaxation techniques, and prenatal multimedia health education significantly reduces fear of childbirth, boosts childbirth confidence, and alleviates postpartum depression, without increasing adverse reactions. This approach is clinically beneficial for improving maternal mental health.